G20 delegates visiting Patna will be welcomed with Bihar folk song & dance

Patna, Jun 16 (PTI) Delegates visiting the G20 engagement group meeting in Patna next week will be welcomed with folk songs and dance of Bihar.

The G20 delegates will be welcomed with Mithila Sama Chakeva, a magical local folk practice ensemble of Jhijya, Hurka, Magahi Jhumar, Kajri, Chaura and Sohar forms of traditional music, an official said.

The G20 engagement group’s meeting is scheduled for June 22 and 23 in Patna.

“We have already selected famous folk dancers, singers, and artists from the state who will be part of the troupes that will perform during the visit of the G20 delegates.

“Folk artists performing Jhijhia, Hurka, Magahi Jhumar, Kajri, Chaita, Shohar and Mithila’s Sama-Chakeva folk song tradition are busy doing their practices. Bihar has so many things to show the world. Being one of the oldest regions of the world, Bihar maintains its wonderful profile,” Additional Secretary, Art, Culture and Youth Department, Deepak Anand told PTI.

Folk songs and dances of the state are pretty popular outside India, he said.

“Sama-Chakeva is associated with the folk song tradition and represents the creations of poets and artisans working together to rejuvenate the local spirit of family bonding and festivity.

“While Jhijhiya is a prayer dance that originated in the Koshi region of Bihar and is performed during droughts, Magahi Jhumar dance is usually presented in the form of a duet, where male and female dancers play the role of husband and wife in rural areas of the state,”, said Deepak Anand.

Besides, famous traditional Bhojpuri folk songs and performances from Bihar that are very popular outside India also said Deepak Anand.

Bihar Chief Secretary Amir Subhani recently chaired a meeting to review the preparedness for the upcoming G20. The meeting was attended by Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, the newly appointed additional chief secretary of the Department of Art, culture and youth, along with other participants.

The main focus of the meeting revolved around delineating the responsibilities of various government departments and outlining the minute-to-minute schedule of the G20 delegates.

Deepak Anand said, “A department-wise review was conducted to assess the preparations for the G20 meetings. Foreign delegates (around 150 from 19 countries) will arrive at the Patna airport on June 21. The delegates will be greeted with a warm welcome and escorted to their respective hotels in the city.

“Later in the day, they will visit the Bihar Museum. Day 2 will commence with the inaugural session of the G20 event at Gyan Bhawan, followed by an engaging cultural programme and a gala dinner in the evening. Concluding the event on June 23, the delegates will visit the Takht Sri Patna Sahib also known as Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji Gurudwara and attend a farewell ceremony.”

The tourism department will arrange for bilingual guides to facilitate effective communication with the delegates, he said, adding the delegates will also visit ‘Nalanda Mahavihara’, a world heritage site in the Nalanda district in the state. Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib, is one of the five takhts of the Sikhs, located in the state capital.